Baskets are used to retrieve various foreign or biological materials (e.g., kidney stones, urinary calculi, choleliths, etc.) from within a body. Baskets are used in the field of urology and other areas such as, for example, endoscopy. Existing retrieval baskets typically include a plurality of wires (or legs) which truncate at a base of the basket. It is known to form the legs of the basket from wire having a rectangular cross-section (FIG. 5A) or a round cross-section (FIG. 5B). The legs are joined by solder, weld, or mechanical means at the base of the basket and at its distal tip. At the base, the legs also are attached to a shaft coil (or wire). This coil is moved back and forth within a sheath or catheter by an actuation device (e.g., a proximal handle with a back-and-forth thumb-activated slider). By moving the coil forward with the actuation device, the legs are extended out of the distal end of the catheter and thus allowed to expand and form the basket shape beyond the distal end of the catheter. Moving the coil back causes the basket to retract into the catheter.